STUFFING AND MOLDING MECHANISM OF DOUGH FOOD PRODUCT PROCESSING MACHINE

Abstract

A stuffing and molding mechanism of a dough food product processing machine includes a stationary structure inside which first and second mold rollers are arranged. At least one demolding rotary disc includes a disc body formed with a shaft hole by which a retention key is provided. The demolding rotary disc is fit to an end of a molding cutter of one of the mold rollers by means of the shaft hole for synchronous rotation therewith. At least one demolding pawl is raised from one side of the disc body that is adjacent to the molding cutter. A tubular dough skin filled with stuffing is supplied between the two molding cutters to be pressed and cut and then sealed to form a dumpling. Demolding of the dumpling is achieved by having the demolding pawl that is provided on the demolding rotary disc contact and push one side of the dumpling.

Claims

1. A stuffing and molding mechanism of a dough food product processing machine, at least comprising: a stationary structure, which comprises two side boards arranged opposite to each other, the two side boards being formed with two shaft holes or two elongate shaft holes opposite to each other; a first mold roller, which comprises a transmission shaft penetrating through a molding cutter, the transmission shaft having an end section to which a toothed wheel assembly is mounted, the first mold roller being arranged to have the transmission shaft extending through and supported on the shaft holes of the two side boards so as to support the molding cutter between the two side boards; a second mold roller, which comprises a transmission shaft penetrating through a molding cutter, the transmission shaft having an end section to which a toothed wheel assembly is mounted, the second mold roller being arranged to have the transmission shaft extending through and supported on the elongate shaft holes of the two side boards so as to support the molding cutter between the two side boards, wherein the first mold roller and the second mold roller are arranged such that the molding cutters are in mating engagement with each other and the toothed wheel assemblies are coupled to a power mechanism to be rotatable synchronously; and at least one demolding rotary disc, which comprises a disc body that is formed with a shaft hole in a central portion thereof so that the demolding rotary disc is fit, through the shaft hole, to one end of the molding cutter of one of the mold rollers, the disc body having a side surface that is adjacent to the molding cutter and is formed with at least one demolding pawl raised therefrom, wherein a tubular dough skin that is filled with a stuffing material, upon entry a space between the two molding cutters, is subjected to pressing and cutting and sealing to form a dumpling, which is demolded by having a side of the dumpling contacted and pull out by the demolding pawl that is provided on the demolding rotary disc.

2. The stuffing and molding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the at least one demolding pawl of the disc body comprise a number of the demolding pawls, the number being greater than one.

3. The stuffing and molding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first mold roller and the second mold roller are pair with each other in a vertical direction as being positioned at upper and lower sides respectively.

4. The stuffing and molding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the at least one demolding rotary disc comprise two demolding rotary discs that are respectively fit to two ends of the molding cutter of the one of the mold rollers.

5. The stuffing and molding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the demolding rotary disc comprises a retention key that is mounted by one of a spring button, screwing, adhesive bonding, riveting, fitting, and welding or by means of a transmission including a key or a pin, to have the demolding rotary disc and the molding cutter rotatable simultaneously.

6. The stuffing and molding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the demolding pawl of the demolding rotary disc has a configuration that is selected as one of a peg with a dome-shaped top, an elevated sphere, a raised hemisphere, a curved peg, and a raised wedge.

7. The stuffing and molding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the demolding rotary disc has a surface area that covers a pressing and cutting site of the two molding cutters.

8. The stuffing and molding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the demolding pawl and the disc body are integrally formed together.

9. The stuffing and molding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the demolding pawl is mounted to the disc body by one of a spring button, welding, screwing, bonding, riveting, and fitting.

10. The stuffing and molding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first mold roller is provided, on a top side thereof, with a powder spraying device, and the stationary structure is provided with a lower doctor blade on one of the support brace assemblies that is adjacent to a discharge end, a belt conveyor assembly being arranged behind the lower doctor blade.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention.

[0013] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the present invention.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a front view of the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a demolding system of use of the present invention.

[0017] FIGS. 6A is a first one of successive views illustrating an operation of the present invention.

[0018] FIGS. 6B is a second one of the successive views illustrating the operation of the present invention.

[0019] FIGS. 6C is a third one of the successive views illustrating the operation of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 7A is a first schematic view illustrating a demolding pawl of the demolding system of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 7B is a second schematic view illustrating a demolding pawl of the demolding system of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 7C is a third schematic view illustrating a demolding pawl of the demolding system of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 7D is a fourth schematic view illustrating a demolding pawl of the demolding system of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 7E is a fifth schematic view illustrating a demolding pawl of the demolding system of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 7F is a sixth schematic view illustrating a demolding pawl of the demolding system of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 7G is a seventh schematic view illustrating a demolding pawl of the demolding system of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating a dumpling made with the stuffing and molding mechanism of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating a position of the stuffing and molding mechanism used in a dough food product stuffing machine.

[0029] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a prior art stuffing and molding mechanism.

[0030] FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating a dumpling made with the prior art stuffing and molding mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4, the present invention at least comprises the following components/parts:

[0033] A stationary structure 10 comprises two side boards 11, 12 that are arranged opposite to each other and are connected to each other by a plurality of support brace assemblies 13, 14. The two side boards 11, 12 are respectively formed with two shaft holes 111, 121 that correspond to each other and two elongate shaft holes 112, 122 that correspond to each other. One of the support brace assemblies, such as the support brace assembly 13, which is arranged at a discharge end is provided with a lower doctor blade 15.

[0034] A first mold roller 20 comprises a transmission shaft 21 that penetrates through a molding cutter 23. An end of the transmission shaft 21 is provided with a toothed wheel assembly 22. The first mold roller 20 is arranged to have the transmission shaft 21 extending through and received in the shaft holes 111, 121 of the two side boards 11, 12 so as to support the molding cutter 23 between the two side boards 11, 12.

[0035] A second mold roller 30 comprises a transmission shaft 31 that penetrates through a molding cutter 33. An end of the transmission shaft 31 is provided with a toothed wheel assembly 32. The second mold roller 30 is arranged to have the transmission shaft 31 extending through and received in the elongate shaft holes 112, 122 of the two side boards 11, 12 so as to support the molding cutter 33 between the two side boards 11, 12, The first mold roller 20 and the second mold roller 30 are arranged such that the molding cutters 23, 33 thereof are in mating engagement with each other and the toothed wheel assemblies 22, 32 are coupled to a power mechanism to be rotatable synchronously. The first mold roller 20 and the second mold roller 30 are arranged to engage with each other in a vertical direction as being set at upper and lower sides respectively.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, a group of two demolding rotary discs 50, 50 is provided, each comprising a disc body 51, which is formed with a shaft hole 52 in a center. The shaft hole 52 is provided with a retention key 53. The demolding rotary discs 50 are fit to two ends of the molding cutter 23 of the first mold roller 30 by means of the shaft holes 52 for synchronous rotation. The disc body 51 is provided, on a side thereof adjacent to the molding cutter 23, with a number of projecting demolding pawls 541. The number of the demolding pawls 541 is selected to correspond to a number of one-side mold cavities of the molding cutter 23. Three sets are used as an example for illustration in this invention, but this invention is not limited to such a number.

[0037] In an embodiment, the retention key 53 is keyed joint (as shown in FIG. 5) at a circumferential edge of the shaft hole 52 to have the demolding rotary discs 50, 50 to rotate in unison with the molding cutter 23, and alternatively, any one of the measures of welding, screwing, bonding, riveting, fitting, spring button, or pining can be used.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 6A, The present invention may include additional accessary parts. For example, a powder spraying device 40 is mounted above the first mold roller 20 to timely spray dry powder (such as flour) to allow for easy molding of a dough food product; a belt conveyor assembly 60 collects and conveys a stuffed dough food product (such as a dumpling) manufactured with this invention to a subsequent processing station. The powder spraying device 40 and the belt conveyor assembly 60 can be formed with any known mechanisms that are additionally provided for include additional functions, but are not considered novel features of the present invention.

[0039] The present invention is applicable to a dumpling machine. As shown in FIG. 9, when a stuffing feeding unit 91 feeds, in a direction from a top side to a bottom side, a stuffing material 911 for conveying horizontally (rightward as shown in the drawing) to a dough feeding unit 93, where the stuffing material 911 that has been well blended is filled into an interior of a dough skin formed by pressing a dough block 931, as shown in FIG. 6A, in order to form a tubular dough skin 71 that contains therein a stuffing material 70 to subsequently enter between the two molding cutters 23, 33 of this invention, as shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, to have the tubular dough skin 71 that contains the stuffing material 70 therein pressed and cut and sealed to form a dumpling 80. Since this invention includes two molding cutters 23, 33 that are arranged opposite to each other, dumpling 80 so manufactured, as shown in FIG. 8, is a rounded and fully-filled dumpling 80 that has two curved side surfaces 81, 82. As shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, when the dumpling 80 is molded and shaped, the demolding pawl 541 of the demolding rotary disc 50 contacts and pull out a side of dumpling 80 to realize easy demolding and conveyed away by the belt conveyor assembly 60.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 5, the demolding pawls 541 of the demolding rotary disc 50 may be of various modified structures in order to suit the needs of different outside configurations of various dumpling products. FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D, 7E, 7F, and 7G illustrate demolding pawls 541, 542, 543, 544, 545, 546, 547 of different configurations, which are respectively a peg with a dome-shaped top, an elevated sphere, a raised hemisphere, a curved peg, and raised wedges, and any configuration that is arranged, as a raised part, to contact and pull out a side of a dumping 80 during molding and shaping could provide the desired purpose of this invention. Further, the demolding pawl 542, 543, 544, 545, 546, 547, 541 is integrally formed with the disc body 51 as a unitary structure, but can manufactured separately to be then fixed to the disc body 51 by means of one of the measures of spring button, screwing, bonding, riveting, fitting, and welding.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 2, the present invention provides a structural arrangement that breaks through the predicament of the prior art that it is impossible to use two mold cutters 23, 33 because of constraints of demolding. Thus, the dumpling 80 made with the structural arrangement of the present invention is subjected to pressing and cutting by mold holes so as to show two curved side surfaces 81, 82, and upper-side and lower-side dough skins show uniform thicknesses 81T, 82T. Thus, the dumpling 80 made with the present invention is fully filled with stuffing and looks crammed and round, providing better mouth feeling and being close to that made with hands, so as to improve the quality of dough food products.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, the present invention uses only the demolding rotary discs 50 to realize the purpose of quick demolding of the molded dumplings, therefore the cost could be reduced significantly. Also, the demolding rotary discs 50 may also function as blocking boards and as shown in FIG. 3, the two demolding rotary discs 50, 50 provide a surface area that sufficient to cover and shield a pressing and cutting site of the two molding cutters 23, 33 so as to block the dumplings from unexpectedly falling during molding thereof.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention demonstrates an arrangement that involves a group of two demolding rotary discs 50, 50. However, in actual uses, one single demolding rotary disc 50 is completely capable of achieving the desired design purposes; however, two may be used to provides two-side mold cavities of the molding cutter 33 to help increase throughput.

[0044] It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.

[0045] While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the claims of the present invention.